90 A GOOD CHANCE. 



dreamy expression to the scene. The path which the 

 hunters followed gradually neared the river, and ren- 

 dered caution doubly necessary, as they now approached 

 the spot where the bison were pasturing. 



Stealing with the silence of a ghost among the dark 

 tree-trunks, old Jake, who was in advance, suddenly 

 motioned his comrades to stop, and bending his head 

 slightly to one side, he seemed to listen intently. 



" Thur hyur yet," he whispered. " Let us creep to 

 the edge of the timber an' gi' 'em goss ! " 



Accordingly the two youths stealthily followed the 

 old hunter, each taking up a position at the verge of 

 the cover which commanded a view of the river bank. 



As old Jake had guessed, the bison still stood near 

 where they had at first been seen. There were four or 

 five of them, of which number two browsed upon a 

 level sward which intervened between the forest and 

 the water ; the remainder stood at the river's edge, and 

 seemed to have no intention of leaving the spot. For- 

 tunately for the hunters, a cool, fresh breeze blew to- 

 wards them, thus concealing their proximity from the 

 nostrils of the wary animals. 



One of the beasts, which had detached himself from 

 his companions, was gradually feeding towards the 

 forest. Hardly thirty yards separated him from the 

 crouching trappers. 



Pierre had marked this beast as his own, and, on the 

 signal to fire being given by Jake, he aimed behind the 

 massive shoulder and pressed the trigger. At the cracks 



